First-generation college students who stop out of college overwhelmingly turn to family members rather than academic advisors or faculty when making the decision to leave, and many make that choice entirely on their own, according to a new research brief published by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University.
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brief, "Understanding the Needs of First-Generation College Students Who Stop Out," draws on survey and interview data collected from students who stopped out during the fall 2022 term at four Hispanic Serving Institutions in California. The findings paint a portrait of students navigating some of the most consequential decisions of their academic lives with minimal guidance from the institutions that enrolled them.
The stakes are significant. More than 40 million Americans have some college credit but no degree, according to National Student Clearinghouse data cited in the report. First-generation students — defined as those whose parents did not earn a bachelor's degree — make up roughly half of the nation's undergraduate population and face disproportionate risks of leaving before completing a credential. A recent Common App report found that even first-generation students with strong academic preparation and more resources are about twice as likely as their continuing-generation peers to not earn a bachelor's degree within six years.
Among the 55 stopped-out students surveyed for the study, more than 70 percent identified familial responsibilities, financial considerations, and other personal challenges as factors in their decision to leave. Another 22 percent cited employment reasons.
One student profiled in the report, identified by the pseudonym Ted, described a "slow fizzle" out of college driven by debt from car accidents, an inability to secure financial aid, and an unwillingness to take on more loans. Another student, Silvia, left after the birth of her second child when she could no longer find adequate childcare coverage.
Employment conflicts proved similarly intractable. Dale, an older student at a two-year college, told researchers that an inconsistent work schedule simply couldn't be reconciled with his class schedule. "I still have bills I have to pay, so I have to work," he said.
Beyond financial and family pressures, the study found that feelings of isolation and disconnection from campus life frequently compounded students' decisions to leave. Six of the ten students interviewed described relationships with college staff and peers as largely transactional rather than relational — centered on coursework and requirements rather than genuine connection.
